jumping up at company& extreme agitation when family leaves home

Question
Hello, How can I stop my "Springer Spaniel " from jumping up at company when they come & go? I have tried pointing a childs cap gun at her & saying "Down"& it worked for awhile, but she's used to it now & doesnt back away anymore. Also, she is very excited when company comes, as she loves everyone & wants immediate affection, but it's annoying to both me & visitors when she jumps at them for attention. She calms down after 10 minutes & is OK then.She is 11 months old & not yet spayed. Will spaying help? Thank You......Joanne

Answer
Yes spaying will help.  If you haven't gone through the hassle of her being in season yet, do so quickly before she starts.  Most vets refuse until it is completely finished once it starts.  Often increased excitability shows up before any physical sign of her season.  

Besides reducing behavior problems, it eliminates the hassle of her seasons.  Their behavior becomes more extreme weeks before the bleeding starts.  Then they will make strenuous, creative efforts to escape.  Once loose, getting bred is minor compared to some of the other things that can happen to a dog running loose.  Unplanned breedings or even a bath or swim can cause expensive to cure if not fatal infections.  Spaying prevents many cancers later.  Having her spayed will make life easier for both her and you.

Having a good pack structure reduces such problems.  The dogs see all the
people and dogs in the household as a pack with each having their own rank in
the pack and a top dog.  Life is much easier if the 2 legged pack members
outrank the 4 legged ones.  You can learn to play the role of top dog by
reading some books or going to a good obedience class. A good obedience class
or book is about you being top dog, not about rewarding standard commands with
a treat. Start at http://www.dogsbestfriend.com/

Consistently is very important in correcting jumping and other problems.  Quickly correcting her each and every time she jumps on somebody is very important.  Something bad has to happen each time.  People are successful with a number of different things.  One of the most gentle is to grab her front paws and hold her up.  The traditional knee to the chest or step on her paws work well too.  In each case apply ''Bad dog, its name off!'' in a firm, but not loud voice.  Go ahead with it even if she is too quick to add a physical correction.